Happy New Year to everyone!
St Francis Community:
Happy New Year to everyone!
Several parishes and schools across Western Washington had to shut down operations due to historic flooding in the state in the month of December
The Laudato Si' Movement-Washington State Chapter released a statement Dec. 11, saying, "We are working together with Archdiocese of Seattle, Catholic Community Services, and additional collaborative agencies to prepare for and provide emergency assistance, as needed."
In December St. Charles Parish in Burlington, St. Catherine Mission in Concrete, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Snoqualmie, St. Joseph School in Issaquah and Immaculate Conception School in Mount Vernon are among the closures. The Tri-Parish Food Bank at St. Charles has also had to shut down.
Two sump pumps ran through the night, and volunteers today are working on removing carpet and sweeping, mopping and disinfecting the basement.
Laguna said many other parishioners have been dropping off brooms, squeegees, fans and dehumidifiers to assist the efforts.
In its statement, the Laudato Si' Movement-Washington State Chapter said it "holds all those affected in prayer." (The chapter includes some of our Life, Justice and Peace members of our parish.)
"This devastation is heartbreaking, and yet another stark reminder of how climate change intensifies natural disasters and exposes the wounds inflicted on our common home," the chapter said.
"Until we as a nation collectively advance and implement policies that meaningfully reduce fossil fuel emissions and foster true ecological conversion," it continued, "Washington communities will continue to endure climate-driven disasters such as these terrible floods. We seek to care for God's gift of creation through addressing both the root causes of these crises and responding to the needs of those most impacted among us here in Washington, and around the world."
Catholic Community Services in the Seattle Archdiocese is mobilizing its efforts by working with Airbnb's Emergency Response Program to offer shelter options for those displaced by the floods.
As rivers overtopped banks and levees failed across western Washington, the Washington National Guard launched one of its largest and fastest flood responses in recent memory, mobilizing about 300 Soldiers and Airmen to help first responders with rescues, evacuations and levee reinforcement from Dec. 11-18. Life, Justice and Peace Committee agree that this use of the National Guard is an appropriate use of the Guard to aid those in need, as opposed to being a force of immigration control.
Sources for this column include: LSM, National Catholic Reporter and NW Catholic.org
Monday January 19, at 11 am is the Martin Luther King Jr Mass at Seattle U and march from Garfield HS to downtown.
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